Hmmm... Yeah, ok, let's go with 3.
Hmmm... Yeah, ok, let's go with 3.
hopping on the 3 bandwagon
3
Oh right, the icecube still needs thawing!
The Act of dozing off in the afternoon is a luxury indeed.
Coffee would be nice, though.
[Collection of my Servant Sheets]
Now Revamped!
In Front of the Drake Residence, Concepción Hill, Valparaíso
Day 03
Afternoon Phase – 08-B
Severe Cold (-17 °C/1.4 °F)
"Javier!”Character Status
Liri—Assassin’s voice invokes another spike of headache that spreads further down the right side of my head and exacerbates the buzzing in my right ear.
What just…right, explosion…my right side hurts…my eye…something in my eye? I can’t…
“Don’t move!” The girl says, as I finally catch her blurry form crawl closer. “Fuck, your face…”
What…? Right now my head is…things are spinning…
“Aah, fuck it.”
I wince at mixed pain and revulsion. The monstrous hand rest on my wounded cheek; prickly, rough, yet somehow slimy, as if purposely combining all possible ways to feel disagreeable to the touch.
And it stinks. Of death, pustules and putrefaction. How can she live with this stench 24/7? This isn’t something you just get used to; the only reason I’m emptying my stomach right now is because there’s nothing left to empty. I’m still shivering, but a good part of that is the cold.
A sudden gasp of pain draws my attention, but Assassin has averted her face and let it hang low the moment I turn to look at her.
“There.” She says as her hand separates from my cheek and she turns away, still crouching as she carefully makes way to the devastated façade of the house. Really, shouldn’t we be more mindful of this? Looks like it’s gonna fall on our heads any second now—
Ah. Didn’t even notice.
Nothing hurts anymore.
Well, there’s still the headache—looks like I can’t avoid it as long as Li—Assassin is in my awareness, but whatever wounds the explosions inflicted have been healed. As expected of magical healing, there is neither scarring nor scabbing. It’s like there were never wounds in the first place.
I might be a little envious, to be honest. Then again, if those arms are part of the package deal…
“We, we should get going,” I point out. “It’s not safe here, and Sakura’s badly hurt—”
Assassin shushes me with a halting gesture.
“Wait a minute. I’m checking if it’s safe.”
Checking? But she’s just—ah, of course, her zombies.
Damn. I mean, Maria’s Saver is crazy strong and all, but this girl’s got an enviable set of powers. Not sure what I’d choose among the two. I mean, those arms…
*** ***
(BGM)
Maria Westinghouse stumbles more than steps into Oliver Drake’s workshop, neither her face nor her footsteps showing any of the brightness those who know her would associate with her. A pale-faced Oliver Drake jerks his head to look in her direction, and does not seem to feel much at ease upon recognizing her.
Space has been made on Oliver’s workbench for Sakura. The woman tending to Sakura’s wounds in no way reacts to Maria’s arrival, and it is this concentration of all things that puts a name in Maria’s mind.
“Ah, you’re Fiore whatever,” she says, just as quickly wondering if the words were heard; so weak they were. Indeed, there is no reply, although it is hard to tell if Fiore did not hear or simply chose to pay the words no heed.
Maria is about to inch closer to check on Sakura when she sets eyes on the ice block still standing bolding in the center of the room.
“What the…”
“Where’s Javier?” Oliver’s voice is a couple notes lower than its usual gruffness, coming out as little more than a growl. “You said you could break this thing. What the hell’s stopping you? Look what’s happening!”Spoiler:
The words pass unimpeded through Maria’s somewhat addled head. Her tired mind centers on only one thing.
Javier.
He disappeared in the firestorm. While she admittedly has no proof, she would bet the firestorm was of his creation. If anything, the confidence with which he stepped into it should be sufficient proof.
How did he do it? Has he always been able of such large-scale magecraft? No, that’s not possible. Their few talks on the topic have revealed his ignorance of most things arcane. Is it connected to the scent of Divinity? She did not catch any scent, or perhaps she did, when all that fire manifested…? Maria is not even sure anymore.
Maria shakes her head, but there are too many things swirling in her mind, and peace is unreachable. She would rather walk out of this house and get away from everything, but the painful yoke of responsibility keeps her feet leaden. She has to protect these people…right?
Yesterday, Lancer looked after Sakura’s wellbeing. The Nazis are clearly targeting Javier, though. Are these people—Sakura, Oliver, Fiore—in danger in spite of her presence, or because of it?
I’m bad at thinking. Stop making me think.
She takes a single step away. From the cracking ice block and the distraught husband. From the severely wounded friend (?) and the woman looking after her. From the confusing, unsettling person Javier Lucero has become. From everything.
“Wait, where’re you goin—gah!”
The abrupt, sharp cry of pain pulls Maria’s and Fiore’s eyes to one Oliver Drake, wincing and holding his right arm carefully. The arm Maria had just shove aside when it tried to hold her by her shoulder, forgetting she now bears the strength of a Servant.
“Ah. My bad—”
The mortified girl is about to reach out to Oliver, but just as quickly stops herself, perhaps suddenly very aware of the fact she has raised a hand against a person considerably older.
“Please do not add to my work, Miss Maria.” Fiore’s voice carries an innate gentleness, but there is no humor in it. It is a physician’s voice. “Mister Drake, there is plenty of snow and ice for that swelling.”
The woman ignores Oliver’s blazing glare, more interested in Sakura’s pained expression.
“Do be swift about it, please. I need those tools as close to sterile as possible.”
That is when Maria notices the tools—not a surgeon’s implements, though. Maria does not recognize them, but it is easy to make a guess: Oliver Drake’s gem cutting tools.
“Wait, you’re gonna do surgery with those!?”
“Don’t screw with me!” The agitated Oliver prompts himself in before Fiore can answer. “Do either of you give a shit about my wife!?”
“Sir, I do only the things I can do,” Fiore replies with commendable calm. “It already pains me there is not much I can do for Miss Edelfelt.”
“Yes!” Maria all but jumps at the chance, doing her very best to pretend the rest of the world does not exist. One thing at a time; that is as much as the current Maria Westinghouse can do. “Ho-how’s she?”
Fiore shakes her head.
“Fortunately unconscious; the whole thing is shattered.” She gestures over the big, nasty shoulder wound. “The most I can do here is remove bone fragments and clean as best as I can. There’s nothing I can do about the toxin.”
Maria closed her eyes, her face a mask of empathic pain. She is aware of the nature of Tiamat’s offspring, but she had hoped against all hope the Uridimmu’s bite was not venomous. She does even bother asking about any healing magecraft. What could any modern spellwork do against venom from the Age of Gods?
It is the reminder of how exactly Sakura ended up like this that threatens tears to spill down Maria’s face again. She brought the monsters to the vicinity of the Drake’s house. She is the one who put Javier’s—her magical energy supplier—above everybody else. She is the one who could not defeat the Uridimmu quickly enough.
“Sakura, I—”
The apology perishes before it even leaves her throat. Perhaps she acknowledges the futility of apologizing to a person who cannot hear it. Perhaps the power within her snuffs all attempts at public shame, deeming them intolerable. Not even Maria Westinghouse can ascertain this.
*** ***
“…and that’s what happening,” finishes Assassin. She has been describing the vents inside the Drake residence almost in real time, her face concealed behind her hood as she present only her right side to me.
There is a new stain on the cloak, around the hole made by the scorpion man’s sting.
I…feel myself blink pointedly. There are quite a few retorts I could give to what’s just happened, but the sheer attempt at opening my mouth is halted by Assassin’s gesture.
“Now, this is what you’re gonna do.”
Wait, who died and made you boss?
“I can’t fix Sakura with you and that Maria around, so you go there, and have Sakura moved upstairs. I’ll get her all nice and healthy while you two deal with that missus in the ice block or whatever. Now, get moving.”
I frown. Not even I’m sure why; there could be a number of reasons.
“You’re not coming?”
“Wha—no! Don’t be ridiculous, it’s already stuffy enough in that room as it is. I can make my way upstairs on my own.”
Well, she is clearly hiding something. Though, it might be easier to wonder just what she is not hiding. On the other hand, there is the fact that the last time she visited that house she knocked Oliver Drake unconscious. In any case, Sakura does need help modern medicine cannot give—not that modern medicine is available in this frozen city—, and the ice block cracking is indeed rather ominous. And I’m still fucking shivering in these wet clothes.
Way too many things happened and keep happening. Who the hell can keep up?
…
…maybe all those things could resolve themselves on their own without me doing anything, but…
Choice Time
Last edited by Daneel Rush; March 28th, 2019 at 04:41 PM.
Catalog of Somewhat Original Servants
In Progress: Fimbulwinter Quest Project.
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1
There’s no better ideas, and this takes care of both Mrs. Drake and Sakura’s problems.
The Act of dozing off in the afternoon is a luxury indeed.
Coffee would be nice, though.
[Collection of my Servant Sheets]
Now Revamped!
2 Let Assassin take Sakura up but try to peak at some point.
Quest of Fate
Apocrypha Universe Fate Quest Project
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Originally Posted by Arashi_Leonhart
1
You can discussThe OG RequiemConQUEST and other Quests in Discord (disc is much more active here).
Click the image to ConQUEST
1. QUICKLY!
Likes attention, shiny objects, and... a ball of yarn?
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I joined two years too late...
1. I think it's best not to split our focus right now.
1
+1
Day 03
Afternoon Phase – 09-B
Severe Cold (-17 °C/1.4 °F)
(BGM)Character Status
I finally get on my feet. If I can break that ice block, then I should definitely give it a try, and, if Assassin can save Sakura, then I most definitely should let her go and do it.
My muscles dulled by the sudden chill complain and ache as I start pushing them again. Another reason to try and break the ice block: it gives me an excuse to use Sthūla-Śarīra. That should deal easily with the wet clothes.
Assassin’s features have hardened in the short time we’ve shared together. The gentle face she showed me the moment she saved me from the deadly stinger has become a thing of the past.
“Come on, get moving,” she insist. “Don’t expect me to pity you; I’m still mad.”
“Sorry,” I murmur lamely. “I don’t know why I called you…”
…what did I call her, again?
What I receive for my words is a befuddled and somewhat annoyed expression.
“That’s not…” she sighs, exasperated. “You know what? Now’s not the time for this. Get going, chop-chop.”
“Bu-but we still need to talk…” I insist. “I need to know—ugh…”
A spike of headache strikes without mercy the moment I look straight at the cloaked girl, who is now staring at me with…what kind of expression is that? She looks…like she’s figured out something, and is surprised by it.
Wha…what’s with that look? Her eyes…the red in her eyes…
“…hmm.”
She turns her back to me, seemingly intending to be the first to leave the wrecked house.
“Wait! You have to tell me—”
“I fuckin’ hate it when people think they can tell me what I need or have to do.” I can only see the cloak covering her backside, but the irritation in her voice is crystal clear. “We can’t talk about anything if your head’s gonna explode just from looking at me. Stop thinking about what you want for a change. Actually, you should be thinking of what you’re gonna tell those people after your little fire show.”
That’s…a damn good point. Crap.
Unmoved by the tinges of embarrassment surely adorning my face by this point, Assassin sighs loudly and blatantly, as if tired of dealing with a particularly slow child.
“Look, I can only tell you this: you are confusing me with someone else, and it pisses me off that I can’t blame you for being confused. Anyway, if you want to find your beloved childhood ‘fairy’, look for Marco Ahrens or Seigi Nomikata. Either will lead you to her.”
Wait, what?
I suddenly feel like I just swallowed a brick.
She got me. I had hoped…I thought she was…wait, then…?
“If you aren’t the girl from my childhood, then who the heck are you…?”
With her back to me, I can see not a thing, only hear the most pitiful chuckle as she finally steps out into the wrecked street.
“Well, that doesn’t really matter, does it?”
And then she is gone, abruptly moving faster than the human eye can track. Did she jump? Did she run off in either direction? It’s impossible to tell. In any case, I am now alone. The headache elicited by her very presence recedes, but my own thoughts threaten to further fuel the migraine.
The “fairy” of my childhood…what does she have to do with anything? Even before that, who was she? I call her a “fairy” because of her looks, but…fuck, I don’t remember a thing. We suddenly moved out of Villarrica; I don’t even remember saying goodbye to her. I don’t…remember...
…goddammit, I really don’t remember a thing. I didn’t think about her in all these years, so of course I forgot—no, wait, isn’t there something wrong with that idea?
…argh, I don’t have time for this. Ice block, gotta take care of that. Well, not like I’m forced to, save for the moral obligation, but then it’s a little cynical that I’ve chosen to help this particular person among all the thousands trapped in ice blocks throughout the city. Not that I have the power to save everyone, anyway.
The first thing I do upon setting foot back outside is invoking Sthūla-Śarīra. The sensation of betterment it grants is relieving in this bleak environment, and the heat pouring from deep within quickly spreads throughout my body and seeps into my wet clothes. This power, this “flame”, is still fearsome, but it is also very convenient in the frozen city.
It is a much more comfortable Javier Lucero who steps into the Drake residence. In spite of all that’s happened, the floor of the ground level is still paved with snow. The back door to the workshop is partially open, but there is not much I can see of what’s inside from the entrance—Status Change
Maria suddenly walks into sight. Well, for all I know she has Servant super-hearing or something. And I…did not really think this at all, did I? I Mean, Maria’s not all smiles as usual, that by itself means something. So, act natural?
“Javier.”
“Maria.” This is so lame. “Um, are you alright?”
That was clearly not the right question. Her expression hardens, and she is not looking straight at me anymore.
“Ah, you are here. Good.”
An unknown woman abruptly—maybe even rudely—shoves her way past Maria and stomps towards me, presenting a chisel and other metal tools.
“You can use fire magecraft, right? Please sterilize these.”
Spoiler:
I catch myself a moment before I go “yes, ma’am” and do exactly what I’m told.
“Ah, um, about that…” I speak faster upon catching the impatient look on the woman’s face. “I talk to—I met a Servant on the way here. She wants to help Sakura.”
While Maria’s expression remains harsh—and I just caught a glimpse of Oliver Drake watching behind her shoulder—, the woman in front of me undergoes a startling transformation. It is as if the no-nonsense, forceful person of a moment before has been exorcised.
“My, so you met Miss Assassin? Is she here?” Her sweet smile only grows wider as she looks over my shoulder for someone who is not there.
“Um, no, she isn’t. She asked me to tell you to move Sakura upstairs. I’ll be too crowded to treat Sakura and break Mrs. Drake out of the ice at the same time.”
“Right.” The woman nods before turning to the pair behind her. “Mr. Drake, would you mind?”
The older man only nods before disappearing inside the workshop, likely to pick up Sakura’s unconscious body.
This woman…is quick to trust Assassin.
“I take it you’ve met Assassin.”
“Yes, we had a lovely conversation last evening.” She giggles all too lively for a prisoner in this frozen city. “It was a refreshing change of pace.”
Her amusement suggests a joke only she understands.
“In any case, Sakura will need plenty of rest; she has lost a lot of blood. Do you know whether…no, I can take a look at the kitchen myself. Don’t mind me.”
A minute or so later, Maria and I are left alone downstairs.
It is extremely awkward.
Maria pointedly avoids looking at me, and I make a point of studiously examining every single crack on the ice block. It kind of gives me an idea, but still…Maria looks ragged. I mean, we all look a bit unkempt by this point, but the skimpily-clothed girl just looks completely done with this shit.
Well, she’s the one who’s been fighting all these days. That might explain why she hasn’t said anything about, well, the fire, and everything. I almost feel bad having to ask her to help me with this thing.
“So, I guess I have to go at it first?” Even her voice is lifeless. The girl who just a while ago was gleefully spraying bullets on Nazis has left somewhere else. On the other hand, a livelier, less exhausted Maria would be all over me about the divine flame. So, I guess this is more convenient for me in the end.
“Yeah. Can you handle it? I mean, you’ve been pushing yourself…”
I am aware what I am doing is vile. Pretending to show concern when in fact I am merely pressuring her. But I really don’t think we’ll get another chance at this, and nobody wants to deal with a zombie Mrs. Drake.
“Nah, nah, no biggie. It’s not like my Magic Resistance will stop working because I’m a little tired. Let’s get this over with.”
Those are crass words, and perhaps the plainest indicator of Maria’s true feelings. It’s not like Maria Westinghouse has suddenly become a callous woman who doesn’t care about Alicia Drake’s plight.
“Well, you look like you’re ready…”
Do I really? Or maybe she is already aware of the flame I am tapping into…?
“…so here goes nothing.”
She conjures her long blade and raises her weapon arm…and then pulls it back down, looking even more tired to a degree I didn’t know was possible.
“Maria…”
“…it won’t come out.”
Before I can say anything, she scoffs with only a hint of her usual liveliness.
“Meh, it’s not like I need melam for this. Here it goes!”
Without further cue, she strikes the ice, the impact releasing an unnatural ringing sound. Indeed, Maria does not seem to have need for her golden radiance, for the dire glowing symbols do manifest at the sword’s point of impact. Maria’s only response to the ice block’s magical defense is a muted grunt.
“Maria—”
“Like I said, this is nothing. Do your thing!” she barks. What’s with girls telling me what to do in this city?
“Right!”
Perhaps I, too, let a little frustration seep out when I strike the ice with my fist. An explosion of vivid flame then bursts out of the infinitesimal gap between my fist and the ice, because apparently my punches do that now—oh, don’t give me that raised eyebrow look, Maria.
“…I’m as surprised by this as you are.”
“…sure.”
This girl has zero trust in me by this point. I guess I can’t blame her. However, Maria does not seem particularly wary or fearful. I guess no amount of crazy magical flame could make me a threat to her awesome Servant powers or whatever. In that case, though, what’s the deal with the other girl (apparently called Fiore)? She saw me create a sea of flames in the street out there. Did she just take it for high-level magecraft? Is she a high-level magus, too? Is that why she does not mind?
I’m thinking too much again. Ice block, Javier. Melt the ice block. Look, Oliver Drake is back. He expects me to save his woman, and here I’m wallowing in thought.
I tap into the flame. It lets me in, because of course it does. A flame cannot reject the chance to burn. The ice block…is not natural. It will not respond to my authority like the snow on the street did. It answers to another, and something within me squirms in revulsion.
That doesn’t matter to me. If it won’t melt at my call, then I’ll just make it.
It will be a little harder—the cracks mean there are gaps in the ice filled with air, which doesn’t conduct heat as well as the solid ice itself. At long as the deathly spell is focused on Maria, however, I have nothing to worry about. Then again, it’s not like we can stay here for hours on end, so let’s put some effort into it.
*** ***
Drake Family Residence, Second Floor
Severe Cold (-18 °C/-0.4 °F)
“Here you go.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Fiore Forvedge sits across the humble living room, seemingly content with watching me partake of the bowl of soup she has delivered to my hands. Nobody has a working clock in this place, but I would guess it’s been about two hours.
Two unconscious women are sharing the same bed I used just yesterday. One sleeps soundly like there’s nothing wrong in the world. The other is almost comically buried under layers of blankets.
Assassin disappeared before I or anybody else could confront her. Fiore claimed she “disappeared in the time it took me to look over Sakura and back at her again.”
I can’t blame Fiore for that. This is the Servant of Assassination we’re talking about. There’s probably nobody in this frozen Valparaíso who can out-stealth her.
“Aren’t you eating, Miss…?”
“Fiore is fine,” she says. “I ate before coming here; I can wait until later.”
“And the others?”
“I offered a bowl to Mr. Drake, yes…well, I don’t think there is a force in this world who can separate him from his wife right now. He is eating at the bedside. I’ll make sure to leave some for Sakura; Miss Assassin fixed everything, but her…power cannot replenish all the blood she lost.”
Her expression becomes severe, maybe even haunted.
“Mr. Lucero—”
“Javier’s only fair.”
“Right. Javier, we cannot keep relying on Miss Assassin’s power. What she does is not ‘healing’, it’s ‘physical correction’.”
My lack of understanding is apparent, it seems, because Fiore does not waste a second to go into detail.
“Miss Assassin does not just ‘fix things’. She ‘returns all things to their original form by taking all unnatural, acquired imperfections unto herself’. Right now, Miss Assassin is somewhere out there with a completely shattered shoulder.”
My heartbeat accelerates. It’s impossible not to think back on the blow I took from the Herald, and the harm dealt by the ice block’s spell.
“It’s true that, as a Servant, she can heal even that amount of damage as long as she is sustained with magical energy, but…like Miss Maria, she is in the end a girl who has taken a Servant into herself.”
Fiore shakes her head.
“A person should not get used to that kind of self-inflicted suffering.”
Fiore leaves me to my thoughts after that, saying she wants to check on the unconscious women one more time. The sun is completing its course across the sky—or so we think; not like we can actually see the sun through the grey cloud cover. Regardless, evening approaches, and the Nazis don’t need Assassin’s intel to know that we are here. Will they attack again tonight? I know I would in their place.
Assassin is the only reason we made it through the afternoon without losing Sakura. A bowl of soup cannot wash away the fatigue from the day’s efforts, and the cold constricts the muscles and saps at one’s vitality.
Can we hold off another attack like that?
No, wait, that’s pretentious of me.
Can Maria hold off another attack like that?
“Javier,” Fiore abruptly calls out from the bedroom. “Sakura has regained consciousness.”
That’s a relief. One less thing to worry about, at least. However…
Time for Choices
Catalog of Somewhat Original Servants
In Progress: Fimbulwinter Quest Project.
Beast's Lair Quest Discord Server
Anyway, if you want to find your beloved childhood ‘fairy’, look for Marco Ahrens or Seigi Nomikata.Seigi Nomikata.Seigi Nomikata.
Hmm, if Javier talks to Maria, Saver might kill him.
2.1, 2.4
- - - Updated - - -
Also wow that twist, now I really wish I'd had Javier thank his benefactor way back when.
...I'm torn between the Maria route and the Assassin route.
Ah, fuck it: 1 - have Javier man up and talk to Maria.
We are building Quest Infinity War you see?
1
You can discussThe OG RequiemConQUEST and other Quests in Discord (disc is much more active here).
Click the image to ConQUEST
1
The Act of dozing off in the afternoon is a luxury indeed.
Coffee would be nice, though.
[Collection of my Servant Sheets]
Now Revamped!
2.1, 2.4
(We broke Raf)
Anyways, the Questverse lives. Seigi is eternal.
Quest of Fate
Apocrypha Universe Fate Quest Project
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Hermes Servant Collection Master Post
1.
YES! FINALLY! We saved her and now they're both gonna join up. Staff members for the base. We'll finally get to use management options!
Of course... everywhere we've slept except for our main base has been totally rekd. Whatever. Raff has wanted to go for Round II with The Beast in the Cave, for a long time now, and I think it's almost time to do that.
___________^ This
- - - Updated - - -
Also, why is Raff hyperventilating? What is Seigi Nomikata?
- - - Updated - - -
Oh. So that's what it means.
Last edited by Draconic; April 4th, 2019 at 03:35 PM.
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